This invention relates to ink jet printheads. More particularly, this invention relates to a nozzle arrangement that includes a coiled actuator.
The Applicant has invented an ink jet printhead that is capable of generating text and images at a resolution of up to 1600 dpi.
In order to achieve this, the Applicant has made extensive use of micro electro-mechanical systems technology. In particular, the Applicant has developed integrated circuit fabrication techniques suitable for the manufacture of such printheads.
As a result of the fabrication techniques developed by the Applicant, it has become possible for the Applicant to fabricate printheads that contain up to 84000 nozzle arrangements. In most of these embodiments, each nozzle arrangement includes one or more moving components which act on ink in a nozzle chamber to eject that ink from the nozzle chamber.
A particular field in which the Applicant has spent a substantial amount of time and effort is the development of a suitable actuator to drive the moving components. A number of constraints limit designs available to the Applicant. These constraints are as a result of the fact that the printheads are manufactured in accordance with an integrated circuit fabrication technique. Such techniques involve what is generally a deposition and etching process which is carried out under strictly controlled conditions. It follows that nozzle arrangements manufactured in accordance with such techniques must, of necessity, be in a layered form. Still further, as is well known by those of ordinary skill in the field of integrated circuit fabrication, the cost of on-chip real estate is extremely high. It follows that it is desirable for actuators to take up as little space on or in the chip, as possible.
The present invention has been conceived by the Applicant in an attempt to address the problems associated with fabricating nozzle arrangements incorporating moving components such as actuators.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead, the nozzle arrangement comprising
a substrate; and
an actuator that is positioned on the substrate to facilitate the ejection of ink from a nozzle chamber of the nozzle arrangement, the actuator comprising
an elongate, flexible, curved actuator arm having an inner end and an outer end, the inner end being fixed to the substrate; and
an actuating mechanism that is operatively arranged with respect to the actuator arm to straighten the actuator arm at least partially when activated such that the outer end is displaced to an extent sufficient to perform work.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink jet printhead which comprises
a substrate; and
a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate, each nozzle arrangement comprising
an actuator to facilitate the ejection of ink from a nozzle chamber of the nozzle arrangement, the actuator comprising
an elongate, flexible, curved actuator arm having an inner end and an outer end, the inner end being fixed to the substrate; and
an actuating mechanism that is operatively arranged with respect to the actuator arm to straighten the actuator arm at least partially when activated such that the outer end is displaced to an extent sufficient to perform work.
The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The specific nature of the following description should not be regarded as limiting in any way the broad scope of this summary.